Container with folded pop seam



Dec. 25, 1951 s, BIRKLAND 2,579,465

CONTAINER WITH FOLDED TOP SEAM Filed July 3l, 1947 .inexpensive y.key @opening provided 'with Patented Dec. 25, 1951 .umTeo PATENT lforfi-"ici:

Stellallixklaln `Sim Francisco, Calif., assignor to yA-mericanGan `Compa-ny, New Xrlg, 1N. l)(fa corporation:of.New.Jersey '.This invention relates o sheet metal =cans im .containers and haspanticul'aeeference toeacon- 1tainer Shaving da moi/rel and materia-heaving :end :seam nons'trnction which permanently and hen- :metically :secures ra. :closure :member :to the acontainer :and gwhioh permits tof :the :removal Vof 4`closure member :so itzmayrbeiused esame.-

fclosure. e

An nbject Aof the .invention :is the provision fof fa .reclosing feature imay .iba-manufactured `at :a saving .in :materials fto v1maine @it ioonomically attractive for products .not .mow Apacked :in :such

lcans. v .Another nbiectzisohe :tainer .Jof .a narrow :type :of tearing strip formed .nzthe body wallof etheicanl'inamortion affine-zend seamgioint zwhichonayabezremonedieasilyzto eiect .a substantial lill opening Lin the top auf the v,wl'iich'afte1'initially being ropened, isLreclosable without :a gueduction in ith'e .daead :space :of the man.

.Another fobiect the fproyision i'rn such a :can of an end seam jointsonmedaoverl'fmpedaor interfoldeclnanges ithe can body and the can" end member, the flange of the body being embedded in a rse'aling :material 'within the recess of the :end Tmember to .eiiectia hermana-.Seal and the ange of the end member-.being secured ,inza recess of .the body and having its .terminal end bent outwardly d`in"a"iaretl top Hedgeof the end seam .fior strengthening theeseam, thereby :formring`ajmermanentjointandforiprovidingmihandy @grip to A:iacilitate `,the removalof'zthe cover when the.tearingstripisiremoxed Numereus othernbiectsandf '-vantagesaotthe invention `will .be .apparent `as :it better .undery:stood from .the .iollowing description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of acan or container embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the container top before tearing strip is removed, taken substantially along a plane indicated by the line 2--2 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 after the can has been opened and showing its cover in position as a reclosure.

As an exemplary embodiment of the present invention the drawing illustrates a sheet metal can or container comprising a tubular body I I f provided with a side seam I2 and having a botfprnvisinn einfsuch La i:

apela-anmachen 194e,.seriarnmsaoss .2 claims. (einzu-54.)

. 2y vtom ri Epeimanexzltly vsecured to :the vbody iin :any suitable nnanner :as van iend; sea-m d 4 @and :anpecia-l reclosure atop .or .end member :t5 v.s ecnred. :to the body in ainovelinterolded Aend seam yI'.

lhefreolosure top :i is iormed Witha substantially nat raised central panel .t8 having .aisurf rounding l:obliquely.disposed wallfsection d Szmerg- 'ing einto :en .annular :depending :inner ,wail .20. .Then/.dll Zadjacent its lowerendfisormed with .a curl-.or 'iurfshaped portion 12J which .curves .uptwardly into :an '..upright outer comer fiange A:.22 Awhich extends .up adjacent ithe Ainner wall :in .spaced V.and parallel :relation dzhereto providing ;a deepmarrow channel rar-.recess 23 of a -width .tsubi-stantially -equa'l oto ithe thickness of the material from 1.which the tbody .is made. .This channel. contains 'nr'.may '.containa depositaof rubber com- 'rpoundroriother-sealing.materiali4.

JWlien .the :reclosure top n.5 is ;inseialing1posi tioneon the ..can,;itifrts .snugly the top of lthe nan, just below :the :upper terminal edge y,of the can, with .its .curl 2'.I tully seated and Vsupported against displacement .on :an .inwardly :extending bead Vtorina-id in the can body I and `.withzits iouterfflange F22 in.engagementiwithan outer'wall portion -251 'o' .the Bloody iIL'I. The ibody wall nil extends up along the outer flange 22.01 r.th-ere- Jclosure `top I5 A'invparallel-ism Itherewith fand after -iaring "outwardly a short ydistance :curves `Jin- ;Wardlynver the top `terminaledge of thereclofsure -outer1iiangel22 and mergesinto a depend ling inner-flange 28. `l'h-is inner 'flange .28ofthe 'bo'dy lII, extendedown into the recess 23 4'of the Afreclosuretop f5 and is for may be embeddedin ithef'sealing materialY 24.

"Ifdesiredzthe sealingmateri-al Ztl-maybe placed in Ithe recess 3U formed by the tbody .Wall vparts 522, 28 @or 'the sealing material Jlill `may vbe Vpres- 'entin both theire'cesses YZi'andll YThis-overlapping and interfolding of the outer body Wall portion 27 and inner flange 23 of the body Il with the inner cover Wall 20 and outer cover iiange 22 of the reclosure top I5, results in the novel and seam I6 hereinbefore mentioned and provides a permanent, hermetic and economical seam Which efficiently seals the container.

Provision is made for readily opening the container by removal of the top I5 in a manner which permits the use of the removed top as a reclosure member. For this purpose the body outer Wall 2l is provided with a narrow remov able tearing strip 3I. This tearing strip is defined by a pair of spaced and parallel score lines or weakened areas 32 which are formed in the outer wall 2l of the body and which encircle the 3 body and terminate in the body side seam I2. One end of the tearing strip is formed with a tongue 33 which extends beyond the side seam and is engageable by a key 34 or other suitable tool, for removing the tearing strip in the usual manner.

When the tearing strip 3I is removed from the body outer wall 21, as shown'in Fig. 3, the upper portion of this wall 21 together with the body inner flange 28 and the reclosure top I5 still permanently secured thereto, may be readily lifted out of the upper end of the bodyrl I, leaving a full open mouth in the body for easy removal of the contents of the can. f

To facilitate removal and'replacement of the reclosure top I5, the upper portions of the interfolded outer wall 2'I and inner iiange 28 of the body and the outer ange 22 of the reclosure top, are flared outwardly along a gradual curved line of bend which porvides a convenient hand grip and which also reenforces the end seam I6 against separation of its interfolded iiange walls. Reclosing of the container replaces the reclosure member l in its former position on the body bead 26 (Fig. 3) without reducing the head space of the container.

It is evident upon perusal of the drawing that the present container is produced Without requiring an extra part, Vsuch as a collar or additional wall folds, in making a permanent end seam. In fact, the seam is formed with one less fold or flange on the outer periphery of the end member I6. 'I'his effects substantial savings in the amount of metal or other material required for producing such an end seam and thus reduces the cost of tearing strip containers so that they may be used for a greater variety of products.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it Will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the Vinvention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

Y. I claim:

l. A hermetically sealed sheet metal container comprising a tubular body having a wall terminating at its outer end in a depending ilange 50 spaced inwardly from the body Wall, said body having an inwardly extending peripheral bead pending body wall flange, a sealing material disposed between the depending inner wall and upstanding outer flange of said end member and embedding therein said depending flange of said body Wall to provide a hermetic seal therebetween, and a tearing strip set off by spaced score lines in said body wall adjacent said upstanding end member flange, removalof said strip eiecting severance of vsaid end member fromthe body to open the container, said end member being thereafter again supported by said inner peripheral body bead as a reclosure cover without reducing the head space of the container.

2. A hermetically sealed sheet metal reclosure container comprising a tubular body having an` outwardly `flared'y wall at an end thereof terkminating in adepending ange spaced inwardly from the body wall, said body having an inwardly extending peripheral bead disposed beneath said ange, an end member seated on said body bead on the interior of the container and secured to said body' wall in an end seam, said end member having a raised central panel merging into an annular outwardly and downwardly inclined wall portion in turnvmerging into an annular depending inner wall snugly engaging against said depending body wall flange and terminating in an integral upstanding outer iiange.

said upstanding end member flange being dis- 30 posed between and snugly engaging against said body wall and said depending body wall flange, a sealing material disposed in the annular space between the depending inner wall and upstanding outer ange of said end member and embedding therein said depending flange of said body wall to provide a hermetic seal therebetween, and a tearing strip set oi by spaced score lines in said body walladjacent said upstanding end member iiange, removal of said strip eiecting severance of said end member from the body to open the container, said end member being thereafter again supported by said inner peripheral .body ,bead as a reclosure coverwithout reducing the head space of the container.A

' STELLAN BIRKLAND.

REFERENCES CITED Thev following references are of record in the le of this patent: f

` UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date f 797,395 Assmann Aug. 15, 1905 1,661,578' Rollason Mar. 6, 1928 1,719,581 Bardet July 2, 1929 2,072,149 vYoung Mar. 2, 1937 2,331,346 Reese Oct. 12, 1943 2,348,750

' Peck i May 16, 1944 

